HONOLULU — Two long-time Kaua‘i lawmakers will make a marked transition today in their careers as public servants if the state Senate confirms their gubernatorial appointments as expected. Gov. Neil Abercrombie in February nominated Rep. Mina Morita to serve as
HONOLULU — Two long-time Kaua‘i lawmakers will make a marked transition today in their careers as public servants if the state Senate confirms their gubernatorial appointments as expected.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie in February nominated Rep. Mina Morita to serve as Public Utilities Commissioner and former Sen. Gary Hooser to head the Office of Environmental Quality Control.
Also scheduled for floor action today in the Senate is the appointment of Patricia McManaman as director of Department of Human Services.
If the confirmation hearing goes as anticipated, Morita said she plans to resign and be sworn into office in time to start her new job Tuesday at the PUC. Her seat representing the 14th District, which spans from Kapa‘a to Hanalei, will be filled by one of the candidates put forward by the Hawai‘i Democratic Party.
“The role of a Public Utilities Commission has to evolve beyond setting rates ensuring investors a fair and reasonable return, to being a critical factor in the implementation of various policies to achieve a prosperous and sustainable future for Hawai‘i,” Morita said Wednesday in a statement to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.
Hooser stepped down from his seat as the sole senator representing Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in the state Legislature for an unsuccessful run last year to be lieutenant governor.
“One of the core missions of the OEQC is ‘education and outreach,’” Hooser said in his testimony March 3 to the Senate Committee on Energy and the Environment. “As the resources of the office stabilize, staff will increasingly be engaged in reaching out to other agencies, planners and others who utilize the Chapter 343 process (the state law governing environmental assessments and impact statements) … My goal would be to help build the OEQC into the organization that the legislature in 1970 intended.”
Plethora of support
Morita and Hooser received pages of testimony in support of their appointments in Abercrombie’s administration. They were both backed by a long list that included community members, business groups, labor unions, environmental nonprofits and distinguished citizens.
“Her past experiences serving on the Kaua‘i County Planning Commission, the Kaua‘i County Police Commission and as a participant in many focus groups and community collaboratives underscores her dedicated involvement at many levels of community service,” said Glenn Sato, Kaua‘i energy coordinator. “Both energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives are critical in these efforts and Representative Morita has the necessary qualifications to complement the knowledge and backgrounds of the two sitting commissioners and will strengthen the Commission moving forward.”
Hawaiian Electric Company and Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, the state’s only electric co-op, also backed Morita.
“I was recently asked by our Board of Directors how Hawaiian Electric should feel about her appointment,” HECO Executive Vice President Robert Aim said. “My response was that it would depend on how well we adhere to our clean energy commitments. If we meet our commitments, we will get fair treatment. If we don’t, look out because she knows exactly how to get our attention.”
Kaua‘i attorney Harold Bronstein said Morita’s knowledge and attitude will make her successful with the PUC.
“Ms. Morita possesses all the skills necessary for the successful administration and management of the PUC, including its investigatory role in regulating public utilities, and most importantly, Ms. Morita has an excellent judicial temperament which will serve the PUC’s quasi-judicial function quite well,” he said.
Morita said there is “no doubt” Hawai‘i’s economy is over-reliant on the visitor industry and must diversify to become more sustainable. She has worked for the past decade toward the development of local, renewable and clean energy sources.
“It has not been an easy task to develop the political will, attempting to keep electricity rates and gasoline prices reasonable and convincing Hawai‘i’s formidable institutions to change their business model,” she said. “These are issues that directly affect the household budgets of families or operating budgets of businesses. However, by addressing these serious issues strategically, Hawai‘i opens the door for economic development and opportunities.
“We export over $8 billion out of state to meet our energy and food needs. By developing local energy resources and farming in Hawai‘i, we can recapture what we now send out of state to stay and be reinvested in Hawai‘i,” Morita said. “Working on energy and food security is one of the most important ways to revitalize Hawai‘i’s economy to stabilize and ‘grow’ sustainable communities.”
She said her goal as commissioner will be modernizing the regulatory structure and creating stable, predictable energy pricing.
Marjorie Ziegler of the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i highlighted Hooser’s environmental record in the Senate.
“Senator Hooser … passed legislation to establish impressive renewable energy portfolio standards, increase the use of solar water heaters for new single-family dwellings, protect critically endangered species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, and protect our right to save energy and use clotheslines among countless other environmental protection initiatives,” she said.
A former Kaua‘i County Councilman, Hooser received support from current members including Tim Bynum and Nadine Nakamura.
“Gary will bring strong leadership to a state agency that is in serious need of leadership,” said Nakamura, principal of NKN Project Planning. “This past year, I received diametrically opposing advice from two OEQC staff members. I made numerous phone calls to the past director to resolve this issue and never received a response.
“I’m appalled by the lack of professionalism from past leadership and believe that Mr. Hooser will help to change the culture and direction of this organization,” she said. “I believe that Mr. Hooser will enforce HRS, Chapter 343, uphold laws designed to protect our environment, and collaboratively work to improve and streamline regulations.”
Hooser identified his strengths in “communications, tenacity and creative problem-solving,” while recognizing weaknesses in “my inability to say no when asked to take on a task and to know when to quit when success is not obtainable.”
He plans to bolster the OEQC staff by adding two positions — a planner and administrative support person — and upgrading its technical IT capacity. Without adequate resources, he said the OEQC is unable to fulfill its existing legislative mandates.
“The successful passage into law of SB699 which would allow the office to charge fees would provide the much needed resources,” Hooser said. “In addition, as director my intention is to utilize University of Hawai‘i interns for research and grant-writing projects.”
Aside from public outreach and managing the EA/EIS Chapter 343 process, the legislative mandates include eliminating the backlog of exemption list reviews and rule amendments that exist and publishing an annual report on Hawai‘i’s environment.
“I am amazed that even given the lack of support this office has endured during recent years, the staff remains upbeat and optimistic about the future,” he said. “Similarly the Environmental Council’s core membership is knowledgeable, committed and willing to do the work when the proper support is offered.”
See an upcoming edition of The Garden Island for coverage of the Senate confirmation and the latest on who will serve as Kaua‘i’s next 14th District representative.
• Nathan Eagle, managing editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
